I'm thinking of volunteering at the local homeless shelter

[Oeditpus Rex]

It opens the day after Thanksgiving.

Anyone with experience in this wanna tell me what I might be getting into?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I have never done that sort of thing, my dear OR...

But, I can say...Good for you! I'm sure you will be useful!

:patriot:

[Broken_Hero]

2. I've done it before

quite a bit during my church going days of my youth...it wasn't that bad, no "horror" stories to tell, except the depression that the homeless carried with them, dissipated a bit, when they came through the shelters....we wouldn't have them during the day, only at night...from 8pm til 7am...they couldn't stay during the day....

We didn't have the personel, nor the manpower to keep it going 24/7...IMO, it was an eye opening experience, that made me appreciate the things in my life, that I always took for granted.

[SeattleGirl]

3. I haven't volunteered in a homeless shelter, but I did volunteer in

a home for displaced women and children. The residents were not necessarily victims of domestic violence, though some were. A lot of them had been kicked out of their homes by fathers and husbands. I really liked it, actually. The women went out job hunting during the day, and their kids went to First Place School, which is set up specifically for homeless kids. People donated clothing for the women and children, and a lot of the grocery stores brought their dented cans of food, plus fruits and veggies that were going to be thrown out (the food was still good, but not primo-pleasing-to-the-eye). Sometimes I did chores around the house, or helpd prepare meals, and sometimes I would sit and talk with the women or play with the kids. It was a great experience, and I would definitely encourage you to check it out, see how you feel about it.

[barb162]

4. My girlfriend does it every Thanksgiving Day

and she always says "There but for the grace of God go I"

She says the difference between the homeless and the rest of us is usually a piece of bad luck that snowballs.

[astral]

5. So true!

I took in a lady who was in her 50's once, who I 'knew' but didn't know she was homeless til she told me she's sleeping in her car. It was October. She had her photo album. She showed me her life the way it used to be. She had a home, children, and she was young and beautiful. Not sure exactly where and how things went wrong but her hubby divorced her and got everything; she took up with a partying crowd and became flotsam on the street, pretty much. She was a toughie, though, and could always love and laugh through her tears.

There but for the Grace of God go any of us, and we need to be reminded. God bless you for your choice, you will have alot to share about it.

[ganeshji]

6. My mom and I volunteered on Thanksgiving one year.

I was an asshole teenager who submitted a $5,000 christmas list and expected to get all of it. She signed us up to volunteer on Thanksgiving Day at the homeless shelter to prove her point that I was an ungrateful ass. It was a great experience and I met some cool people, including One-eye Jack, who has ended up being a dear friend. It was a nice experience that has turned into a family tradition, so yes I would recommend that anyone with the inclination do it.

[datasuspect]

7. i've eaten at one

well a church in st. louis that had a soup kitchen.

god bless those volunteers.